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I'm finding the cramped regional design/pacing to be very problematic in this game (or at least midway through, which is where I am currently). Even when I'm trying to minimize the amount of grinding in this game, I still find myself being forced to out of necessity. The short distance between gyms translates into sudden level jumps, and the pacing is so bad that I find myself losing to common trainers and even wild Pokemon more often than gym leaders and other "bosses" in this game.

Originally Posted by LizardonX

Tabitha has really let himself go, just how many lava cookies did he eat in the last 11 years?

I'm finding the cramped regional design/pacing to be very problematic in this game (or at least midway through, which is where I am currently). Even when I'm trying to minimize the amount of grinding in this game, I still find myself being forced to out of necessity. The short distance between gyms translates into sudden level jumps, and the pacing is so bad that I find myself losing to common trainers and even wild Pokemon more often than gym leaders and other "bosses" in this game.

Due to the distance between gyms, one could argue that the size of Johto and the distance between gyms of Unova are synonymous.

Having noted this, I'd agree that the pacing does seem a bit off in BW2. But hey, that just means that Game Freak expects the player to fight everyone and every Pokémon they see, I guess.

To give you the option or in case your team couldn't handle it due to health problems

Exactly the same reason why they shouldn't just spring a rival battle on you right after exploring or battling a lengthy part of the game where half of your team have fainted or have low HP.

Was that really it? Will wondered. Was that what they were all doing, looking for someone less different? Was that what he was doing? Rachel was dynamic and thoughtful and focused and caring and different in more ways than he could count, but the whole point of Rachel, as far as Will was concerned, was that she wasn't him. There was a flaw in Katrina's logic, then. This thing about looking for someone less different ... It only really worked, he realised, if you were convinced that being you wasn't so bad in the first place.

I'm finding the cramped regional design/pacing to be very problematic in this game (or at least midway through, which is where I am currently). Even when I'm trying to minimize the amount of grinding in this game, I still find myself being forced to out of necessity. The short distance between gyms translates into sudden level jumps, and the pacing is so bad that I find myself losing to common trainers and even wild Pokemon more often than gym leaders and other "bosses" in this game.

It's true. If I didn't lag behind every city to catch every pokemon and level all of my caught ones up, I would be too weak to deal with the next gym leaders.

The pacing's kind of... weird, I guess. I think the problem is that they expect you to clear out every accessible area before challenging the Gym, and not doing that results in being severely underleveled. I was doing what they expected anyway, and I walked into the first five Normal Mode Gyms, for the most part, with my team around two levels under the Leader's secondaries and four levels under their ace. Once I got the Lucky Egg, though, I started to just abuse that, and ended up beating Iris with a team of Lv. 59s and a Lv. 62 starter (I try to train my party evenly, but Samurott eats half their 'mons for breakfast).

I personally found the pacing to honestly be pretty much perfect for my comfort level and playstyle aside from the Lucky Egg, but that's just me.

The pacing's kind of... weird, I guess. I think the problem is that they expect you to clear out every accessible area before challenging the Gym, and not doing that results in being severely underleveled.

And with the experience gain system of gen V, going through the gym first kind of defeats the purpose of "making up" and going back to the areas that you didn't go to before. :/

Not really. Going through two areas at a normal level is about the same as going through one area underleveled and one area overleveled. Even if it's not worth as much, you'll be underleveled for the next area unless you get the Exp. from the area you skipped.

Plus, there's also Pokemon and items there, so there's really no reason not to go in order.

Not really. Going through two areas at a normal level is about the same as going through one area underleveled and one area overleveled. Even if it's not worth as much, you'll be underleveled for the next area unless you get the Exp. from the area you skipped.

Yeah, that's true, but I assumed that after going through the gym (like how you mentioned in the scenario), the player's Pokémon would merely be normal-leveled rather than overleveled. Of course, that's all the more reason to go to the optional areas and train up.